Raising Trouble
by ayamari no Goshi
Summary: One day an elderly man stumbled across a baby that would change his life forever. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Raising Trouble

Disclaimer: Dragonball/z and all of its characters are owned by Akira Toriyama.

_Editor's note: This story is supposed to be an interpretation of what happened after (grandpa) Son Gohan found Goku that fateful day up to when Goku meets Bulma. I'd rather put this in the Dragonball category, but it's never going to get read if I do..._

_This is a multi-chapter fic, but it shouldn't be terribly long. I am open to ideas any of the readers have for improvements or potential situations, so please feel free to message me. It's also going to be my main project while I figure out what to do about the next chapter in _Coinciding Fates. _And that's it. Enjoy_.

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Chapter 1: prologue

There had been little rain in the past week, so the roads were nice and dry, which allowed for easy traveling. There were few clouds in the sky, and the temperature was not too hot or cold, as it was mid-spring. It was perfect traveling weather.

Son Gohan was very happy about that as he continued his hike home that particular morning. He had begun his trek several days earlier from the closest town to his secluded home in the mountains. He had decided to build his home in such a place for privacy. In the past, many young men had come to him in hopes of stealing his secrets of the martial arts, but he had made the decision that he would not train anyone. No matter how many times he tried to explain this, the prospective pupils just kept coming, so, in hopes of discouraging them, he moved to the mountains. For the most part, it worked, and he was allowed to enjoy his solitude.

Due to his self-sufficient nature, he rarely had to go into town for supplies, but once in a while, he did desire conversation and news of current events. When that desire hit, he would check the weather, pack a few items, and head out. Once he had his fill, he just headed back.

Although it was about a five day trek to the town, he never really minded. He loved the mountainous scenery that he passed. Much of it had been untouched by man, and it put him at ease to travel through it. And since he did not have to worry about being attacked by robbers or wild animals due to his martial arts training, he could make the trek at his own leisurely pace.

However, this particular trek did not seem to have its usual feel. Something seemed off about it, and the old man was having difficulty trying to determine it. There was no real sense of danger, but there was an uneasy sense in the air. It could have been from the sound he had heard just prior to morning, which he had associated with a major rock slide, but there was really no way to know for sure. So he decided that it would be best to hurry on his way just in case something, perhaps a freak storm, was on its way.

Maybe an hour later, he began to hear a strange noise. At first, he thought it was an animal call as some of the creatures he had encountered in the past made a similar sound, but as he grew closer to the source, it became clear that it was the sound of a baby. That was puzzling to him. Why would a baby be out in the wilderness?

He concluded that it was probably a couple with a young child who had come out for a picnic. It was uncommon for them to be so far away from the city, but not unheard of. Since there was nothing wrong with that, he decided that he would just continue on his journey.

Yet, as he continued, the child's cries were not stopped. It was really beginning to bother him, so he altered his course and headed for where he believed the cries were originating.

ooooo

As he pushed through a rather thick thicket of bamboo, he stumbled into a clearing. Within that clearing sat a baby with an unusual amount of hair crying his eyes out. Gohan quickly looked around and saw no sign of another person. Concerned and worried, he moved closer to the baby, whose cries were really starting to weigh on his heart.

"Whattcha doin' out here all alone, little fella?" Gohan asked the infant as he picked him up. The baby had ceased crying almost immediately, and was now looking at the old man with a rather curious look. What surprised Gohan more than this unusual look was the fact that a tail had uncurled from beneath the child.

Gohan quickly examined it closely, just to make sure that he wasn't just imagining it. "A tail?" Gohan asked once he was sure of what he was seeing. He then moved the child close to his face, "Well, that's okay. I'm a little odd myself."

In response, the baby kicked him and began to laugh. Although the kick was a bit more powerful than that of a regular infant's, he did not ponder it as the baby was finally happy. "Hey, take it easy on me," Gohan told him, "I'm old enough to be your grandpa, you know." The baby just laughed again.

He then adjusted his hold on the baby so that he could look around for some clue to where the child's family had gone. He called out, in hopes of an answer, but heard no one. Worried, he began to search, in a circular fashion, for some sign of another person.

Although he did not see anyone, he did come across a crater with a strange item within it. It was a large, spherical shape and appeared to be made of some sort of metal. What would best be described as a door was open, which revealed an inner chamber that had a chair and what appeared to be controls. Gohan also noticed that there seemed to be some sort of feeding tube connected to the chair.

He quickly came to the conclusion that this strange object had not been made by a human. He had seen vehicles and planes before, and they looked nothing like this. It also did not look like any spaceship any human had ever made. This knowledge caused his hair to stand on end. So, if humans did not create it, what did?

He then glanced at the child, who was looking around rather curiously. Was it possible that the object had brought him here? That was a rather unsettling thought, Gohan decided a moment later after he watched the child attempt to reach for a bird he saw. This child was alone, and other than his tail, there was nothing out of place about him. Without a second thought, he decided that he was going to take care of this child while he tried to find some clues to his identity.

ooooo

After using a spare cloth as a blanket as a diaper for the baby (who was none too pleased), Gohan decided that he would call him Goku, and once that was determined, he began trying figure out how he was going to get this child back to his home as it was the closest building . Upon examining the strange craft, he discovered that there was a large bag of what he assumed was formula, which had been attached to the feeding tube. The discovery relieved him as now there was now a way to feed this child, at least for a little bit.

He then made a bit of a nest for this child in the pack that he was carrying, placed him in it, and began the journey home after feeding the child. Goku seemed to be content within his nest and quickly feel asleep, which made the journey a little smoother, even though Gohan was terrified that he would fall out.

However, that contentment ended as soon as Goku woke up, which was almost two hours later. The child who had been quite happy earlier was now incredibly upset. He was crying again, and Gohan could not figure out what to do. Goku was not wet, and he did not appear to be hungry again. He did not respond to being burped or silly faces. Nothing Gohan did worked, and he was beginning to get worried.

Eventually, Goku somehow managed to get a hold of Gohan's mustache and pulled. The old man winced and carefully tried to pry the infant's hand off of him. He found out rather quickly that this child's grip was absolutely incredible, and he was putting quite a bit of effort into it. What was even more incredible was that every time he winced, Goku began to laugh.

"So, you like that expression?" Gohan asked after having his mustache pulled again. Although he was happy this child was finally being agreeable, he wished that he could have discovered this without the pain involved. Eventually, he got himself out of Goku's grip, but as soon as that happened, he began to cry again. Gohan winced again, in hopes it would quite him, but it did not work. After sighing, Gohan adjusted the baby and once again began his journey. All the while, Goku was happily pulling on the mustache of his new grandpa.

While they traveled, Gohan could not help but wonder what he had managed to get himself into.


	2. Chapter 2

Gohan was absolutely exhausted. As he sat down at the kitchen table for a moment of rest, he tried to fathom just how one little boy could cause so much trouble. It had taken a few days for Gohan to get Goku back to his house, but he had to admit that it was probably the most harrowing experience he had ever had.

The little boy, who was currently resting on the bed in the other room, had proved himself to be a monster while traveling. When he wasn't asleep or amusing himself by pulling on Gohan's mustache or gnawing on his ear, the boy was either crying, hungry, or escaping.

He sighed. Goku was already showing signs of being a heavy eater when he was older. Gohan swore that the child had gotten every two hours or so on the journey. He was also unusually strong for an infant, which he had already noted, and very fast. It had taken all of the old man's strength to prevent the child from falling. If he could ever get the child under control, he would be a promising student.

The boy's tail had also proved to be a problem. He had often put it in places that were rather awkward for Gohan. Perhaps the worst was around his neck because when Goku tried to escape, Gohan often unintentionally went with him. During one of those attempts, Gohan actually grabbed the offending appendage, in an attempt to prevent the child from falling on his head. In that moment, he discovered that by doing so, the child went almost immobile. That startled Gohan. That was going to prove to be a severe disadvantage when the child got older. He was going to have to try to overcome that if he did not grow out of it.

After a moment more of contemplating, Gohan realized that he was being silly. This child probably belonged to a family that was clearly going to miss him, even if there weren't any clues to his identity. He was eventually going to have to give him back to them, and it was not a good idea to grow too attached. He decided that he was going to observe the child for the next couple weeks, just to make sure that he was happy and healthy, but if he heard anything on the radio, that he still had to find, about a missing child that fit Goku's description, he would travel back to the city in a heartbeat.

A cry pierced the silence; Goku was up. Gohan quickly rose to check on the little boy, wishing that he could have had just five more minutes of a break.

oooooo

The next day, Gohan truly realized just how difficult this child would really be. Goku ripped apart, quite easily, the little hammock that had been made for him. He threw his make-shift bottle at his adoptive grandfather. He kicked apart the small tub that was being used to give him a bath. And, at the end of the day, Gohan was nursing his hand after Goku bit it while being put to bed.

Gohan could not believe that this child was so destructive and hoped that Goku would begin to relax in the next few days. Sadly, that would not be the case. For the next week, everything became progressively worse. The only time that Gohan could get Goku to be complacent was during his several meals.

This was starting to worry the elderly man. If this child's behavior continued in a downward spiral, he was not going to be able to take care of him. What made it worse was there no indications that there was a young child missing. The way things were going, even if there was a broadcast of a missing child, Gohan possibly would not be able to get Goku safely to the authorities.

In a last ditch tactic for some peace, Gohan decided that he would take Goku for a walk near their little house. While they were out there, Goku actually found entertainment by watching the birds and small animals move around the trees. The little child tried several times to grab for them and almost fell out of the basket Gohan had put him in, but the old man was not bothered. Compared to the mayhem Goku had caused in prior days, this was a welcome relief. After returning home, Goku was a little more manageable, which caused Gohan to determine that such walks would become a daily event.

oooooo

After several weeks, Gohan had still heard nothing over the radio indicating a missing child. In his area, any missing child would be all over the news since it would be the most exciting event that the region would experience in months, if not years. He was also unsure if he could handle taking the child into the city. Goku, on his best day, was rowdy. So, Gohan continued to care for him.

He did his best to help Goku as he began to talk and stand, and he began to grow proud of the little boy, who still seemed to want nothing to do with him. Gohan was also making plans to begin the child's training as soon as he could comfortably walk.

oooooo

Gohan could not believe what happened. One moment, Goku was in the basket Gohan used to carry him while they were out, and the next, he was falling to his death in a ravine. The best that Gohan could gather was that either the child was attempting another one of his escape attempts at the worst possible time or that he was trying to grab for a bird or the like.

After getting down to the bottom as fast as he possibly could, he found that the infant had a severe head injury and was barely breathing. What could he do? The nearest hospital was days away, and there was no way that he would be able to contact anyone who could possibly help. It was also very dangerous to move him due to the injury, but what else could he do? Within moments, Gohan was racing the child back to his house.

Gohan cared for the injury to the best of his abilities, but it was really up to the child if he was going to pull through. He hoped that the child got lucky, and the injury was not quite as bad as it seemed. But, after a couple days, it was clear that the child was in a life or death battle for his life.

Gohan tried his best to keep the child comfortable as he recovered, it was the least he could do. He just could not forgive himself for deciding to go a little farther than he usually did on their daily walks. If he had just stayed on the paths that they usually took, Goku would not be in so much trouble.

He also tried his best to keep him hydrated, since that could pose another problem. Fortunately, after a few days, the boy seemed to be improving. Goku was becoming occasionally responsive to sound.

Perhaps it was about a week after the entire ordeal when it was obvious that Goku's life was no longer in danger and would heal with no major injuries. He was alert and playful, but tired easily, much more than he had previously. It seemed almost like the fall had never happened, and any mark would be covered by Goku's thick black hair.

However, there was one noticeable difference in the child. The aggressiveness that Goku had displayed previously was no longer there. He did not bite, throw, or destroy anything. Instead, he was bubbly and cheerful. He also wanted attention from the old man that he had previously protested.

Gohan was unsure how to view that. It seemed that Goku would now be less of a handful, which was a relief, but it didn't feel natural. He was going to continue to watch the child carefully. Maybe the change in personality would only be temporary.

oooooo

By the time Goku had begun walking, it was clear that the personality change was permanent. The little boy loved attempting to sneak up on his adoptive grandfather and giving him a hug. He had also begun to request sharing the bed in half formed words.

Goku was growing up just like any normal boy, at least in Gohan's eyes. He was curious and definitely seemed to enjoy attempting to throw punches after he had watched his grandfather jokingly demonstrate some moves.

Gohan, although he kept paying attention to the radio for any mention of a missing child, had begun hoping that he would be able to continue taking care of him. Gohan had also begun thinking less and less of the unusual conditions in which he had found his grandson. He had somehow managed to explain it away by saying that the pod was just an elaborate carrier, but every once in a while, he just dwelled on it, wondering if that was the real answer. Maybe he would one day get to learn the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few years since Gohan had stumbled across the strange pod that had held his grandson, and during that time, he still had not heard anything to indicate that he was a missing child. It bothered him every once in a while to know that this child didn't seem to be missed. What happened to his parents?

He glanced at the boy, who was currently doing summersaults in front of their house. He clearly had no memory of them, and that didn't seem to bother him. Usually, the only thing that ever could was hunger. That boy still ate more than any other person he had ever encountered!

Speaking of which…

"Grampa…?" the little boy asked cautiously as he came over. "Is it lunch time yet?"

Gohan chuckled. His grandson could look so adorable sometimes. He quickly asked what he would like before the two headed off into the woods to go hunting.

oooooo

After lunch, Gohan decided to do some training with Goku. The boy seemed to have an absolute love for it, which occasionally puzzled the old man. Even if the child thought that it was just a game, the movements seem to come a little too easily for him. It was too natural.

Gohan wasn't too sure what to make of that. On one hand, he was very proud of Goku. He was showing the signs of being an amazing martial artist, and grew stronger each day. On the other, he was growing a bit too fast. The child had always had an unusual strength about him, but he hadn't thought much on it until more recently. Gohan felt how his grandson improved every day and knew that, within the next decade, he was going to surpass him.

The old man occasionally wondered about the boy's unusual strength too. He often joked that it came from all the food the child ate, but when he really looked at it, there was no rational explanation for it. Maybe it was natural… or maybe it had to do with the boy's missing parents. Well, whatever it was, he probably wouldn't know.

oooooo

Goku was a child full of surprises, but Gohan had never expected something like this to happen. Earlier in the day, Gohan had been telling his grandson about the stars and the moon. Since it was clear that the child was curious, Gohan decided that it would be nice to take the child hiking to one of the nearby mountains so that they could see the sky a little better.

The child was ecstatic. He although he and his grandfather had camped out before, they had never been quite so far away from their house. And, he had never been allowed to stay up so late before. He was also going to get to see a full moon, which he had heard was incredible.

Gohan watched in amusement as Goku scurried about while they hiked. That was another natural talent the child seemed to have, a never ending energy combined with a stamina that even some of the old masters had not been able to achieve. It almost seemed like the boy was born to fight. Maybe it was destiny then, that such a boy would be founded by someone who was considered a legend in his own right.

As darkness began to fall, and Goku was happily feed, the two found a perfect spot for star gazing and set up their camp. After prompting from the child, Gohan had begun to tell the child more stories about the stars. He enjoyed telling them, since the child was often openly wondered about them in ways only a child could. Nothing was impossible for Goku just yet, and Gohan hoped that it would stay like that for him. It was his opinion that impossibility kept too many people from being who they were meant to be.

The stories only stopped when Gohan noticed a large glow out of the corner of his eyes. The moon had finally risen!

He pointed it out to the child, whose exhaustion was starting to get the better of him. That changed almost immediately once he caught sight of the luminous orb. All of the tiredness disappeared in an instant, and he seemed to be absolutely entranced by it.

Gohan was initially pleased by this. Children need to be aware of the beauty around them. But, after a moment of watching his grandson, something just didn't seem right. Goku no longer seemed aware of anything around him, and he was pulsating. Gohan was alarmed; was he having a fit?

He rushed up to the child, shaking him, hoping that he would come out of it. Yet, something was wrong. He wasn't coming out of it, and worse, he seemed to be changing right before the eyes of the old man. His face seemed to be changing, elongating. And, was he somehow getting bigger?

Soon, Gohan wasn't looking at his grandson, but what appeared to be a giant ape that just seemed to be getting bigger by the moment. The old man was at a loss for words. What had just happened? And, was that thing really his grandson?

Any thought process the old man might have had was disrupted by an ear-splitting roar. The ape creature was now at its full height and seemed to be enraged. It quickly went to work throwing boulders and demolishing any nearby rock formation with a general ease. There seemed to be no real pattern to what it was doing; it just wondered mindlessly, causing unprecedented destruction.

Although the nearest city wasn't too close, Gohan definitely became concerned that this creature could possibly reach it. It was beginning to show hints that it was a bit faster and more agile that he had originally expected. But what was he going to do to prevent that?

He quickly gathered his courage and attacked the beast. He quickly launched a volley of attacks at its leg, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Any physical attack he tried just seemed to bounce off, and the creature didn't seem to mind them at all. It just continued on its rampage.

Gohan then moved to the creature's tail. If that was Goku's weakness, maybe it was the creature's as well. After a couple punches, it was clear that it was doing something. If it was weakening the creature, it was difficult to tell. It definitely made it angry though, and it brought Gohan into its attention.

The mindless destruction ceased for a moment as the monster laid its glowing red eyes on the old man. It seemed to regard him for a moment before it grabbed another boulder and tried using it as a means for crushing him. The monster just growled as it watched him barely get out of the way. In response, it tried grabbing at him.

It took everything that Gohan had learned in his training to stay out of the grasp of the monster. Its sole focus was now him, which worried the old man. If he couldn't stay out of its grasp, what was it going to do after it killed him? Was it going to continue on its rampage? There was just no telling.

Somehow, for hours, the old man was somehow able to dodge the rocks and the fists. As the first light of dawn began to sneak across the mountains and the moon began to set, Gohan was sure that there was no way that he was going to be able to continue. Yet, as the creature was about to launch another boulder, something weird happened.

It suddenly dropped its weapon and roared, almost as if it was in pain. In a strangely human manner, it placed its hands on its head and stumbled. It was strange to watch. Then, it began to change.

Gohan watched in awe as the creature that just leveled a mountainside changed back into the sleeping form of his grandson. He was at a loss. His grandson, the child he had been raising, had somehow turned into a savage raving beast. This wasn't something that he could simple ignore. What was he?

He had never heard anything like this before, even in old folk legends. There were no tales of giant were-apes destroying anything in their paths. Nothing, save for the work of the gods, could even compare to such destruction. To make it worse, if Goku hadn't been so focused on trying to kill his grandfather, there was no telling what else he could have done.

The only thing he really understood was that the child had never done something like this before. There was no indication that he even had such a terrifying ability. He looked up at the sky. Goku didn't transform until he looked at the moon.

A realization hit him. That had to be it! The key to this transformation was the moon! He transformed when he saw it and changed back when it set. Now, if he can keep Goku from looking at it, there would be no worries about a giant murderous ape.

He shook his head. How could he be thinking about keeping this child after everything he had just witnessed? He should probably turn the child into the authorities. But would they believe him?

He then glanced at the sleeping form of his grandson again. Goku was the same child that he had raised for the past few years who he loved deeply. He couldn't just abandon him when he had no one else.

As he approached the child and picked him up, he sighed. He would worry about what to do with the child later. Right now, he just had to worry about finding him some clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

Gohan watched the boy carefully during the next week after his transformation. There was no external marking to show that it had happened, and Goku seemed to have no memory of the event.

It was so strange. When the boy woke up after all of the destruction the only thing that seemed to be on his mind was food. He was unusually hungry, which was saying something. It was only after he had begun to eat his breakfast when he noticed that there was debris all over the place. He asked what happened and was confused as to why he had managed to sleep through it. He then shrugged it off as he refocused on his meal.

Gohan really didn't know what to make of it. The innocent boy he had taken in was also a monster, which raised the question of what Goku really was. There had been times in the past that Gohan had thought the child was a bit strange, but no normal human could have done that. Was he really a human?

He glanced over at the child, who was giving him a strange glance. Goku seemed to know that something was troubling his grandfather, and it bothered him. Gohan did his best to try to ease the child's mind, but it was difficult. Although he didn't want to admit it, Gohan was scared of his grandson.

He had wrestled with idea of giving the child up, allowing him to be someone else's problem. Yet, every time he glanced at the little boy, that idea wavered. Even if the child was an inhuman monster, he still loved him. That child was still just a little boy who needed someone to care about him.

oooooo

It took a while, but eventually, Gohan convinced himself that he would be fine and the child wouldn't be a danger as long as he didn't look at the moon. He took the child aside the one day and explained to him that a great terrible monster came out when one looked at the full moon. The only way that he would be safe from the monster would be if he stayed inside and slept during such a night. Although the child was excited, like any young boy would be, he had managed to convince the child that seeing such a beast would be a bad thing.

He was definitely grateful for that. He didn't need the child running off during the night only to transform again and cause who knows what kind of damage. Just to be sure though, he was going to have to stay up the entire night during the next full moon, just to make sure that the boy was asleep.

He also needed to begin teaching the boy the ways of the world. The child had never seen another person before, and well, that might cause him problems later in life. Eventually, he was going to have to explain the processes of getting older… well, that is if the child followed the same growing patterns as an ordinary person did. He thought he would, even if the child was somewhat small for his age.

That was one thing he had noticed that he was doing more and more since his grandson's transformation, he was examine the child rather frequently to see if he could find something else different about him. And, in all honestly, the only thing physically different about the boy was that he had a tail… that, and the transformation issue. It was very perplexing.

oooooo

When Goku was around eight, it seemed like everything was going fine. The child was still enthusiastic about life, and he was proving to be quite the student, like Gohan had hoped. He had not transformed again since that awful night, and his grandfather had almost forgotten about it.

The only difference was that every once in a while, Goku asked about his parents. Gohan just told him that he had been abandoned. Yes, that was a little harsh to tell a child, but Goku took it well, and it was a lot better than some of the other theories Gohan had created over the years.

Every once in a while he'd ponder about the child's unusual origins. Sure, he had ideas about it, but he had no proof for any of them. He did, however, write to his former master, to see if it was possible that he might have heard of a tale concerning people like his grandson. The response held no answers, just the same curiosity that he held. Maybe this was something that he wasn't supposed to learn…

oooooo

Gohan had been fast asleep when a roar awoke him. Without a second's thought, he ran outside to a sickeningly familiar sight. The great ape that was his grandson was standing right over their house, looking murderous. He quickly moved to the cover of the nearby trees, hoping that he hadn't been noticed just yet.

How did this happen? He had warned his grandson time and time again that he wasn't supposed to look at the moon, and he disobeyed him! He glanced up at the ape, who was currently looking for something to destroy. Now what was he supposed to do? It took all of his strength just to get away from him last time!

Suddenly, the beast turned towards his direction. It was almost like it was listening for something. Gohan was scared. Was it possible that it could hear him moving? He really hoped that wasn't the case.

It moved towards his position, stepping on anything that was in its way, including their house. Gohan winced as he watched. It might not be much, but it was still his house, and he was quite fond of it.

The ape stopped at the tree line and looked around. It definitely seemed to know that something was there. It roared again, impatiently, as it ripped a tree out of the ground, roots and all. The tree was held over its head for a moment, almost as if it was showing off its strength, before it tossed it as far as it could. Gohan could feel the ground shake as it landed.

As it roared again, Gohan quickly moved through the forest to a different position, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed. This creature had to be stopped. He had failed before, seeing as it was an unknown at the time, but now he knew what it was and what it was capable of doing. He just hoped that he wouldn't kill his own grandson in the process.

He hoped that he would have time to prepare the attack, the Kamehameha wave. It was definitely risky, but hopefully, it would stun the beast long enough to keep it still until morning. If it didn't, well, he hoped that he wouldn't get placed into that situation.

Every moment he spent gathering his chi seemed like an eternity. At every moment, he was just waiting for the ape to notice him, to close in for the kill. Fortunately, he was just about done when that finally happened. The ape seemed to have noticed the light emanating from his chi. It approached him slowly, almost as if it was unsure what to make of the strange light.

Gohan was thankful for that; it gave him just enough time to for him to finish. The beast had just a moment to look at him when he released his master's attack. The blue wave hit its target and knocked it to the ground. There was no movement or sound after it dissipated, other than the sound of falling particles, most likely dirt and small rocks.

Had the attack done its job? He slowly moved forward to see what had happened to his enemy. It didn't move, which worried him. His grandson wasn't dead, was he? Then there was a sudden movement, a twitch of its hand.

Then without warning, the beast's large tail came at him. He barely had time to block it as it swept him aside. As he attempted to pull himself together, he watched in horror as the creature started to pick itself up. This beast seemed to have no damage.

Gohan knew he was in trouble when he started feeling the chills go down his spine. The creature was hard enough to stop the last time he had faced it, but from that time, it seemed to have gotten much stronger. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise since Goku had gotten stronger since then, but he hadn't realized just how much it would affect his other form too.

He was just going to have to see if he could once again last until morning. Hopefully, he would be able to do that. However, this time, Son Gohan wasn't very sure of the outcome.

oooooooo

"_Grandpa! I'm heading out!" a young boy said to a curiously orange ball that seemed to be in an exalted place in the little building that the boy now called him. It had been a few years since he had awoken to find his grandfather in very bad shape. _

_Although the man was clearly in pain, he had been able to tell his grandson that the full moon monster had hurt him and their house. The poor boy had done everything in his power to help his grandfather, but it wasn't enough. He was very sad when his grandpa had left him. Even though he knew it was unmanly, he had cried, only pausing when he buried the body, as he had been taught._

_Once he had cried himself out, he had made a promise to the strange orange ball that his grandpa had left to him that if he would ever meet that monster that he would make it pay for hurting his grandpa. That had been years ago. He hadn't heard of the beast since, so he really had not thought much about that revenge._

_Instead, he was more worried about trying to find himself food and pleasing his grandpa, who he was pretty sure could still see him through that ball. It was enough for him, so he generally enjoyed each day he spent at his home._

_That particular day, however, he had noticed that some of the birds that had flown in from a different part of the mountain seemed uneasy, as if something had spooked them. It was probably just that saber-toothed cat that liked to come around every so often, so he didn't think much of it as he decided that he wanted fish for a meal._

_A little later, once he had managed to snare his prey, he was heading home in a rather good mood when a strange noise reached him. It was like nothing he had heard before. A sort of low rumbling that didn't fit in with the normal sounds of the forest. Moments later, he learned that the sound came from a strange shiny creature that was moving very fast and was coming straight for him._

_Just before it hit him, it stopped. It must have been after his fish! Well, he wasn't going to stand for that, so he picked up the creature as it began screaming and threw it. Unsure if it was down for good, he got into an offensive stance and told it to fight._

_Instead of fighting, a strange figure emerged from it. A demon! It then attacked him with some sort of magic. It was painful, but it wasn't enough, it just made him angrier. Again, he told it to fight._

"_Wait! Whoa! Time out!" it shouted as it raised its hands. "I'm not a demon! I'm a human!" That was sure a surprise! He hadn't expected to see another human. He was even more surprised when he found out that this new human was a girl. So, he did what any man would have done and invited her to his house._

_There was no harm in it. Though, he would never realize, even later in his life, how much his world would change from his chance encounter with Bulma Briefs._

FIN

* * *

Hmm… I had never expected this fic to take me so long to write. Distractions are awful.

I hope that this short piece was enjoyable in some ways. It was definitely fun to write and to play around with third-person writing, which I still have difficulties with.

Well, that's it for now,  
ayamari no Goshi signing off.


End file.
